Most guild apps are basically an interview for a job.

 

-----signature-----

Some look like job apps, however it's amazing what you can find out about someone from how they answer a few questions.


You know your guild, your applicant does not, so he's not going to tell *you* he doesn't fit, but you can pretty easily tell imo.


On paper they sound awful. I'll probably never, ever fill one out again. However they serve a very useful function that can save everyone involved from a lot of grief and unfun.


I have seen a lot that ask personal questions and also about your other characters, to me that's none of their business, but again just answering a few questions isn't a huge commitment. Not everyone in the guild will group with you before you join or before they vote on if you can join.


For myself, my days of vent and apps are over, but, as mentioned above and this is the main thing, they serve a purpose. The people like me who won't fill them out, probably wouldn't like the guild. So, already the filter works!

 

-----signature-----

Guild Apps have the same problem that Gear Score has. Its a tool that can be useful in the right hands but it usually turn out to be a crutch used by people who are too busy or don't care enough to make an intelligent accessment.

Those people can turn around and say the same thing about people who play casually. It's all in the eye of the beholder imo.

Besides, the casual people who spend 3-4 hours a night running heroics or running around picking herbs are spending the same amount of time high end raiders spend in raids.

 

-----signature-----

Yah, it definitely lies in the eye of the beholder..


I have always enjoyed the Star Wars franchise, but not to the point I would go to a convention, or dress up as my "favorite character". This is just too much imho.


Of course, the whackos that actually do these things would say that one is not a true fan unless they participate in such things...


Hardcore raiding vs casual play comes out in pretty much the same light. One group of people are "Normal", and the other are "Fanatics"....


Sorry, I will never be a "fanatic" when it comes to an online game.


Edit: The next time my family wants to play cards, or Monopoly, I'm going to make them fill out an application first...
/chuckle

 

-----signature-----

Have a professional, appropriate design that is easy to navigate.>>

Honestly a link to forums are all most people care about.

Have interesting and unique content to keep members interested in returning and particpating.>>

Unless you've been around for a while you're not going to have any interesting and unique content. Syndicating an RSS feed from mmochampion or wowhead like the other million guild sites doesn't count as content.

Have exclusive content on the website like guild information and/or contests for in game items or gold.>>

This isn't bad, have a rundown of your guilds history. Explain your loot polity and any expectations when it comes to showing up for planned events after signing up for them. Contests are better off done in the in game event planner, IMO.

Put your guild application on your website. >>

Unless you're a raiding guild, I don't think this is needed. Raiding guild applications can be hilarious though, we keep our app forums public for that reason.

Be active on the website yourself.>> 99% of our members don't even check the "frontpage" of the site. They know what happens in the guild due to the activity panel in game. The only thing they check are the forums. The main reason we have an actual website and not just forums is a nice public presence.

 

-----signature-----

Well to elaborate, here's why I stay away from those guilds (ones with applications). That usually means they, or at least the GM and those closely tied to them, take the game very seriously - too seriously for my taste. I mean there's nothing wrong with being passionate about your hobby of choice, but there should be some basic and obvious barriers of emotion between a video game and yourself, and these guilds tend to be populated by people that don't have a healthy approach toward MMO gaming.

It has been my experience that these are people whom's on-line gaming time is just surrounded by petty drama, with a touch of Stockholm syndrome going on between the GM and "officers" or what have you. These are also, in my own personal experience, been the type of people that have generally unsatisfying personal and/or professional lives and it bleeds over into their gaming.

Crazy that I find so much from guilds with applications and "trial runs"? Yea, and I know that this isn't always the case. I don't even know if it's the majority of cases. But it has always been the case for me. And truthfully it's a very sad situation to be around. So I steer clear.

 

-----signature-----